m3zzaluna:

“enzo sellerio’s work is critical and challenging, often referring to sicily’s dark history, but just as often it tells a passionate, involving intelligent and even amusing tale of everyday life there, with all its verve and vitality. he captures grace and irony with a magical depth, and this image of a street scene in palermo is the result of a deeply felt empathy with his surroundings, a perpetual sense of wonder, and a sharp eye for graphic composition. the image’s structure resides in a rigid geometric scheme established by the sides of the chairs perched on the children’s heads, which are perfectly centred within the frame yet at the same time create a sense of dynamism, with their broken line suggesting a climb or descent. the compositional balance is further offset by the position of the children’s legs, along with the silhouette of a man to the side of the frame. perhaps this dark, hunched figure, wrapped up in a coat that’s too long for him, embodies the true mystery of the photograph.”

children carrying chairs, palermo, 1960

photo by enzo sellerio, from photobox: bringing the great photographers into focus